What are Jobs You Can Land With No Experience?

With an U.S. unemployment rate of close to 10 percent in May 2010, finding a job that requires little to no experience is no easy task. Finding one that also gives you a roof over your head can seem even harder. Expect that these jobs may pay less than you might have thought, since they factor in your room and board. Many of the jobs that provide free accommodation are also chock-full of adventure. While these jobs can appear as both entry-level or full-time positions, work experience may not be needed to get into the career path that you want to pursue.

Some entry-level jobs require basic things for their positions, like communication skills, creating a LinkedIn profile, using social media, having a high school diploma without a college degree, being prepared to ask and answer interview questions, taking online courses for the position, answering phone calls, using problem-solving tactics, proofreading, having soft skills in your full skillset, and being able to get through simple job training once hired.

If you’re looking for a new career or type of job opportunities without having years of experience, consider jobs like real estate agents, apprenticeships, work-from-home-jobs or remote jobs, sales representatives, data entry, customer service representative, computer science, administrative assistant or a virtual assistant. While you may not need experience for these jobs, a resume and cover letter may be required for the job search by job seekers to show recruiters that you can get a job with or without previous experience.

Prior experience like part-time or entry-level positions are normally needed for higher jobs in a field where an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree may be needed or the job postings have specific job descriptions for people with needed experience. While the average salary for these no experience jobs can be lower than those with higher needed experience, there are still great opportunities out there for these positions for the first time or first jobs for someone.

Farm Work

Migrant workers have moved from one harvest to another for centuries. Jobs doing tasks like picking fruit or harvesting vegetables are usually available for people without any experience, and sometimes come with free accommodations--though pay is often piecemeal and generally low. While conditions at some farms can be pretty rough, there are places to root out better accommodations. Willing Workers on Organic Farms is an organization that places people on organic farms throughout the world. Work is performed in trade for food and a place to stay.

WWOOF - USA 430 Forest Avenue Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-715-9500 wwoofusa.org

National Parks

Jobs at National Parks often involve working in remote locations, which usually translates into a place to stay for the workers. Often accommodations are dorm-style, or in permanent tents or cabins. While many jobs with the National Park Service do require experience, work is also available as a maintenance worker, cafeteria or lodge worker, or trail hand on a seasonal basis. Information on National Parks jobs is available at the National Park Service's Employment Information website.

National Park Service nps.gov/personnel

Cruises and Resorts

Cruises and Resorts are great places to find housekeeping, janitorial, landscaping and kitchen jobs that does not require any experience. And since there’s no place to be besides the ship or the remote area around the resort, these employers have to provide accommodation. Employee quarters are not always private, pay is often low for unskilled positions, and hours are long (since they have a captive work crew), but people do manage to save money while working in a "floating hotel." To look for work on a cruise ship, you can browse the listings on the individual cruise lines, like Carnival and Princess, or check out a headhunter like the Cruise Placement Hiring Agency to get an inside track on the best jobs, ships, and accommodations for your new job.

Cruise Placement Hiring Agency 954-653-1457 cruiseplacement.com

Work Abroad

In many parts of the world, having a foreigner come to "teach" English at a school is a huge jump in status. Thus, many language academies and even primary and secondary schools will hire English teachers from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, even if the new hire has little to no experience teaching. Many of the foreigners are used as "conversation specialists" in the classroom, working alongside a regular classroom teacher. Since they are hiring you so far from home, these schools will most often provide your accommodations along with your teaching salary. In places like China, the government even requires the school pay for the foreign teacher's accommodation. While some schools require a degree or teaching certificate, others are not as discerning. Pay can vary from next to nothing in Latin America and South America to more than $40,000 a year in some parts of Asia. To get started, browse the job listings at Dave’s ESL Café or another English teaching job board.